EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PLAYS IMPORTANT PART ON WAY OF ARMENIA’S DEVELOPMENT, RA PRIME MINISTER SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Dec 12 2007
STRASBOURG, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Serge
Sargsian, at the December 11 meeting with Terry Davis, the Council
of Europe Secretary General, in Strasbourg, said that the European
integration policy plays and important part on the way of Armenia’s
development. According to the Prime Minister, democratic and structural
reforms implemented in Armenia are absolutely harmonious with the
spirit and logic of European model of development.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Information and Public Relations
Department of the RA government, during the meeting, the parties
also touched upon the presidential elections to be held in Armenia,
attached importance to holding elections in line with international
standards, stressed the role of press in the issue of holding free,
fair and transparent elections.
During the meeting with Hans-Gert Pottering, the Chairman of the
European Parliament, held the same day, S. Sargsian said that within
one year Armenia has had noticeable achievements in the issue of
implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy Actions Plan. He
stressed that Armenia considers implementation of this program not
as a duty, bu as domestic policy, which is first of all necessary
for the state and the people.
Serge Sargsian asked the Chairman of the European Parliament without
fail to send a monitoring mission to Armenia in connection with the
presidential elections. Pottering welcomed the Prime Minister’s
proposal and promised to voice this message at the conference of
Chairmen of the European Parliament.
The parties also discussed issues related to regional cooperation,
spoke about the present and development prospects of Armenia’s
relations with its neigbors. In particular, the RA Prime Minister
asked European Parliament’s assistance in the issue of normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations. He presented his approaches over the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem to the head of
the European Parliament and stressed that in spite of the bellicose
statements frequently voiced in Azerbaijan, he is sure that there is
no alternative to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The RA Prime Minister concluded his visit to Strasbourg with a
meeting with Benita Ferrero Waldner, the European Commissioner for
External Relations, during which the account of implementation of
the European Neighborhood Policy Actions Plan was handed to the
Commissioner. Ferrero-Waldner said that she will attentively study
that document and then the next steps of cooperation with Armenia
will be considered.